


First Contact

by c0smicqueer



Series: Firsts [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: First Kiss, Gay, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Tuckerreed, wow i’m gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:55:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25395736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0smicqueer/pseuds/c0smicqueer
Summary: Trip & Malcolm experience a First Contact of sorts.
Relationships: Malcolm Reed & Charles "Trip" Tucker III, Malcolm Reed/Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Series: Firsts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839325
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	First Contact

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta’d. I don’t own ST.

Malcolm had just gotten to his quarters. He'd gone to the mess hall to grab a small supper after his shift ended at 1800 hours for the first time in weeks. He’d noticed a slight discrepancy in readings before he left the bridge, checked them in the armory and determined there may have been some relays in a panel in the armory that needed routine maintenance. And replacing those parts meant he'd have to get under and inside the console. He decided to deal with it the next day for once. After all, Archer had told him to take it easy unless it was important. “Get off the bridge and out of the armory if you can, Malcolm,” Jon had told him that morning. 

He and Jon had grown closer over the past few years. As a senior officer, Malcolm spent a lot of time in the ready room, on away teams with Jon, and at those insufferable dinners he hosted with water polo and beer. He’d grown fond of them, though. They had turned out to be a nice reprieve from some of the more intense experiences on Enterprise. Their last big mission had drained him. It had been only a week, and they were making repairs 24/7 for four days straight. He took two days off and slept for thirty hours straight through. It was very unlike him, but his body was so tired. It also helped that Enterprise was his home. He was more relaxed than he’d ever been anywhere really. The crew were his friends and family and the safety of the ship’s crew was his pride and passion. He was happy. 

He found himself in the lav unzipping his uniform to take a shower and get ready for bed when the comm chimed. “Hey Malcolm,” Trip’s voice called through the comm. Sweet deep honey, Malcolm swooned. The way he said Malcolm made him like his name. He relished it every time Trip didn’t call him by his rank - which was common now, but especially when they were off hours. He glanced at the clock - Trip should have been off hours too, but hadn’t messaged him on the PADD yet. Maybe he was in his quarters? He was hoping Trip wanted to hang out but-

“What can I do for you, Mr. Tucker?” He had taken to teasing Trip this way, enjoying the smiles that always followed.

“I was wonderin’, and don’t hate me,”

Trip’s voice sounded bright and happy. Malcolm envisioned Trip’s smiling face in his mind and felt a blush creep into his cheeks - hot and bubbly. 

“..if you could gimme a hand in Engineerin’ real quick. I know the last week has been a bit hectic but I could really use yer wits right now. I’m missin’ somethin’ in my readouts. Meet me in Engineerin’?” His inflection went up at the end of his sentence, hopeful. 

“I’ll be right there, Trip.” It took him years before he was able to call him Trip aloud consistently. Part of it was his upbringing, and the other part was that he enjoyed the power dynamic. Also, Trip knew when Malcolm was being facetious. It was a fun little game they played. He used to hate that Trip was his senior officer - but now it sparked excitement in his chest, and when he was alone and thinking of Trip, he felt it in his gut. A sweet pressure - a radiant warmth. Trip. He sighed.

“See you soon, Loo-tenant,” Trip lofted back, his voice gentle.

Trip tapped his fingers on his PADD idly. He had pulled a chair up to his station, and crossed one leg over the other and leaned back. Malcolm was coming to Engineering. They’d been doing this a lot over the last year or so - finding reasons to fix things after hours so they could spend time together, in close proximity, without being conspicuous. They also trained together often, but were generally more physically distant in the gym. Trip had started to stay back because he felt his longing growing, and other things, when he spent too much time watching Malcolm and his body. They also went to movie night every week, and Malcolm helped him pick the movies. And they were constantly messaging each other on their PADDs if all else failed. They were best friends, he thought. 

Trip wasn’t sure if Malcolm felt about him the way he did. They’d been friends and crewmates for years and he didn’t want to mess that up. It would devastate him if his feelings for Malcolm made everything awkward. Hell, it hadn’t really occurred to him until very recently that he was completely head over heels for Malcolm Reed. So, he decided he could deal with his feelings as long as he got to keep his best friend. Trip was waiting for Malcolm to get there, and he shuddered with anticipation. He sighed, then heard the soft whoosh of the door. There were light booted footsteps, and then Malcolm appeared at his side. 

“Hello, Trip.” His piercing grey eyes were bright and relaxed. He was smiling! Malcolm Reed rarely smiled on duty, all cool and collected and serious. But this was a favor for a friend. Trip’s stomach did a loop, hair on the back of his neck sticking up just a bit. Malcolm was still in uniform too. He must’ve caught him at just the right time.

“You’re still in uniform! I thought you’d be dressed down and in bed by now, ol man.” He teased. 

“I guess I didn’t put you out too much?” Trip flashed his thousand dollar smile, eyes twinkling and a chuckle rumbling in his throat.

“I had just returned from the mess hall. Chef made bangers and mash tonight. It was marvelous. You should eat later.” 

_Oh, I’ll eat later_ , Trip thought to himself. _Wait. Stop that._ “Sounds good. I wish he had fried green tomatoes. I miss ‘em somethin’ fierce.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. “Anyway,” 

“You asked me to give my opinion on these readouts, yeah?” 

Trip nodded. 

“May I?” 

“Please,” Trip said. 

Malcolm leaned over Trip to grab a PADD. Close. His body was so close their uniforms brushed. Trip felt the vibrations of fabric through fabric and leaned forward to get his own PADD, lengthening the touch. He thought he saw a small smile on Macolm’s lips, but it was lost to the face Malcolm made when he was reading. His eyes were set, flitting through the words, finger tapping the screen and scrolling back and forth. 

Trip didn’t even look at his PADD before Malcolm glanced up and asked, “What discrepancy were you looking for, Commander?” 

There he went, professional Malcolm overrode every other Malcolm sometimes. 

“Trip.” 

_He corrected himself!_ “Uh well,” he faltered just a bit and Malcolm’s head cocked a few millimeters, waiting for Trip’s answer. 

“If you look here,” he leaned closer to Malcolm, holding out the PADD so Malcolm could see. 

“These readings don’t match here and here, and based on my math from earlier, somethin’ ain’t right in the totals fer my equations.” 

He paused, letting Malcolm look it over. Malcolm nodded.

“But the ship’s fine. Nothin’ is off kilter except the readings. I can’t really figure it out. I’ve been a little tired but I can’t let my baby run wrong while I sleep ya know?” 

It seemed like an easy enough math problem, Malcolm thought. He pulled up another chair and sat next to Trip, inches away. Their personal space overlapped drastically when they were off-hours. Malcolm’s arm brushed Trip’s as he scrolled through the pad some more, pulling up references to engineering equations, the engine’s manual - it had visuals, calculator, and notepad functions. He glanced at Trip and met his eyes. His cheeks looked a bit rosy and his eyes were sparkling. Trip was staring at him again. Malcolm’s eyes darted back to the PADD and his breath quickened ever so slightly. He tapped the PADD some more. 

His thoughts were moving at light speed, and professional and hopeless romantic Malcolm did not mix well. Alas, they were both present in his mind when he was around Trip. Trip hadn’t even looked at his PADD in minutes. He was just splayed out on his chair staring at Malcolm. Malcolm could feel Trip’s eyes boring a hole into him and fought back a smile and the energy creeping up his chest. Maybe tonight they could talk freely. Malcolm had been considering it for weeks, but especially after the close call on their last away mission. Now that everything had calmed down and they were puttering about off hours together, maybe...

“So what do you think, Loo-tenant?” Trip teased. 

Malcolm smiled but kept his head down, intent on solving the problem again. 

“Not sure yet, Trip.” 

He bit his lower lip and squinted his eyes, flipping between Trip’s calculations and the equation references. He used the notepad and started doing them himself and realized Trip had just written one number wrong.

“Oh Trip,” Malcolm sighed and then chuckled. “You really must be tired.”

“Why do you say that, Loo-tenant?” he drawled. He craned his head and leaned deep into Malcolm’s personal space, hovering over his shoulder to see the PADD. 

“You just wrote this number wrong, Trip. Left off a six in the tens.” He smiled and faced Trip, not realizing their faces were only inches apart. He felt Trip’s breath on his cheek and his eyes widened noticeably.

“Is that all?” Trip grabbed Malcolm’s PADD and held it up next to his own. “Well I’ll be damned!” 

He was actually surprised. He could usually spot these kinds of mistakes without calling anyone else in to check behind him. Embarrassed, he gave Malcolm back his PADD and rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m glad it was an easy fix,” Malcolm teased. “Didn’t even have to get the tools out and get dirty.” Malcolm shot him a smile, half hoping Trip would catch the joke, half hoping he ignored it.

Trip smiled. “A damn shame. I like gettin’ my hands dirty.” 

Trip flashed his big smile again, and Malcolm swooned. He felt a jolt in his chest and throat as he met Trip’s gaze. The insufferable blond was so fucking attractive. The light from Trip’s lamp shone above him, drastic shadows on half of his face, his beautiful features illuminated. The sheen on his work-greased hair, the dirty spots where he’d touched his face in thought through the shift. He was gorgeous. It took everything for Malcolm not to reach out, grab his cheek, and pull their faces together.

“You got anythin’ left in the armory?” Trip didn’t want their time together to end. And he was too tired to go work out, and it wasn’t movie night, so doing some more work with Malcolm sounded perfect. 

“Well,” Malcolm looked away, regaining his composure. “There are some parts in the armory that need to be replaced. Just routine maintenance. I was going to wait until tomorrow’s shift, but, a second pair of hands could be nice.” 

“Sounds great!” Trip took the PADD from Malcolm and put them both back on the pile on his desk. Then he stood to stretch, arms over his head, standing on his toes.

He is so large, Malcolm thought. Long and broad. His neck was so thick. He was clearly flexible... 

“Let’s get to it!” Trip put one hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, turned off the lamp on his desk with his other, and pushed Malcolm toward the door. 

Malcolm’s shoulder was on fire where Trip’s hand rested. He didn’t take it off as they left Engineering. They were walking down the hall, and Trip was still actively touching him. He looked at Trip for a moment, and realized Trip wasn’t even paying attention to touching him. He was just walking and daydreaming. A crewman appeared from a door and Trip’s hand raised up to wave at the crewman. They both nodded and greeted the crewman and kept on their way. As they walked down the hall, their arms, elbows, fingers found each other. A bit of a brush of Malcolm’s shoulder to Trip’s arm, the sway of their bodies matching as they walked. As they reached the armory, Trip’s whole hand collided with Malcolm’s as they both reached up to key the entry.

“Oh, sorry,” Malcolm muttered, and Trip dropped his hand.

“Nah,” Trip offered awkward. 

He was standing behind the lieutenant, his breath reaching the shorter man’s neck. Malcolm was painfully aware of how close they were, and how Trip loomed over him as he keyed the entry and stepped through the door. Thankfully, no one was in the armory. They were alone. Malcolm shut the door and locked it reflexively, then walked toward his desk. Trip stayed close as they made their way over. Malcolm bent over to grab his PADD with schematics and list of parts and relays and fuses that needed to be replaced from his neatly stacked and organized files on his desk. 

Trip marveled at the chief armory officer’s desk. He’d never really paid attention to it before, usually having his eyes glued Malcolm, and before, years ago, only storming in to chew him out or start a fight. “You’re so organized, Malcolm” Trip said, and bent over Malcolm to grab a knick knack on the desk. 

“Mm,” Malcolm muttered. He felt Trip’s hip brush up against him as Trip leaned in to grab something in front of him. He spoke, and Malcolm felt his breath on his ear, his neck. He fought back a shudder, feeling the heat rise in his skin on his neck and the blood rush to his ears. His hands grasped the PADD tighter, knuckles turning white. 

“I try to maintain efficiency, yes,” he managed, strained. Pounding. His head was pounding. _Pounding isn’t a good word for that right now, Reed_ . _Stay professional._ he thought. He grit his teeth and started to stand back up, Trip not moving. He stood up just a bit too quickly and his back leaned into Trip’s chest and shoulder.

“Oh,” Malcolm muttered, and Trip took the slightest step back. 

“Sorry, it’s close quarters in here.” Trip shrugged. Was that a blush on Malcolm Reed’s cheeks?

“It’s okay,” Malcolm said quickly and shuffled a bit. “How about we replace those parts? Did you bring your tools?” 

“You know it!” Trip smiled again, and waggled a small tool box at Malcolm. His smiles were heavenly blessings, Malcolm thought. The Lieutenant reached up and gently pushed Trip back some more. “Pardon me. Relays are under the console, Trip.” 

Trip looked surprised at the touch and backed up. _Under the console? How are we gonna?_ _Oh shit_. His thoughts were racing. _We’re gonna crawl in there? How are we both gonna fit? There’s no way._

Malcolm had squatted down and removed the panel, tsking. Some of the parts were definitely fried. He started to pull at things, reaching through wires. He’d forgotten to grab the relays too. He huffed and banged around for a few more minutes when he felt a tap on one of his boots. 

“How ‘bout you lemme get down there and you go grab the replacement parts? I dunno where you put ‘em. Plus, you been up earlier ‘n me, and I’m better at fixin’ stuff than standin’ around. An’ I’m ‘sposed to be helpin’ ya since ya caught my mistake.” His sweet, lilting drawl was more intense when he was alone with Malcolm. Malcolm basked in it, in his precious presence.

“My pleasure,” Malcolm sighed as he extricated himself from under the console. Trip dropped to his knees and crawled under the console and into the crawl space. Malcolm crossed the room and grabbed the parts from a closet, and turned around. Trip’s tight, round ass was in the air. _Oh fuck._ Malcolm could hear Trip muttering to himself contemplatively as he noted which relays were out and what he needed to replace them. Malcolm couldn’t help but smile a big, full smile. 

“Malcolm can you grab...,” and he rattled off all the parts Malcolm had already gathered. He had made a list already based on the readings, but Trip didn’t work that way. He liked to see for himself, double check the computer, and just make sure. Malcolm loved that about him. He was intuitive and thorough and quite a genius. He knew everything about the ship and how to fix it. It was his pride and joy. 

Trip had laid down on his stomach and then flopped over onto his back so he could reach better. His legs peeked out from under the

console, feet fidgeting up and down as he tinkered.

“I’ve got them all here, _sir_.” Malcolm said playfully as he squatted down in front of Trip’s feet. He peered into the crawlspace and gazed at Trip’s long, gorgeous body. The light was soft and glowy and red, illuminating Trip from above. He was beautiful. His arms reached above him and the tip of his tongue was sticking out in concentration. He glanced down at Malcolm and winked before removing a charred piece and setting it down to his side. He pulled one knee up and scooted back just a bit so he could get a better angle. 

“Can I have one o’ them replacement connections, please, Malcolm?” 

“Of course.” 

Trip had scooted too far back, so Malcolm had to drop to his hands and knees to reach into the crawlspace and over Trip to pass him the part. Trip leaned up just a bit, careful not to smack his head on any stray, jutting mechanisms. He grasped the relay and his fingertips lingered on Malcolm’s hand for a moment before he leaned back and started to replace it. Malcolm’s breath caught in his throat, and hoped the hum of the hardware masked the sound. 

He pulled back and busied himself fixing a connection just over Trip’s shins. Trip stared at him, longing in his eyes. He was small enough to fit without having to lay down. _Thank god,_ he thought. _I wouldn’t know what to do, how to hold it all in if we were layin’ next to each other._

Trip nudged him with a boot again, “Need another one, Malcolm.” 

He held out his hand, palm up this time, trying to control his desire to grab Malcolm’s hand, to feel his soft skin, to trace outlines on his fingers. It was very difficult being this close to Malcolm in this small space. And the light was so soft, so erotic. Red. It energized him. It helped that he had relays to focus on, but he was getting excited. He felt a tremor in his crotch, and blood pooling in his groin. “Shit,” he murmured. Malcolm had placed the relay he asked for in his hand, and fanned his fingers on Trip’s palm for just a second before pulling his hand away. 

The gentle touches startled Trip and he dropped the relay just as he felt blood rush downward while Malcolm touched him. He leaned up and peered around, trying to find the relay when Malcolm pushed his leg out of the way, leaning over his upright knee and grabbed the part, holding it above Trip’s chest so he could see it. 

“Here you go, _sir_ ,” he said, smiling impishly. 

Trip blushed, hoping the red in his cheeks wasn’t visible in the red glow. 

“Thanks, Mal,” he said, softly, trying so hard to keep his voice steady. 

He focused his attention back on the relay he was fixing, pushing wires out of the way so he could get the connection attached just right when he realized Malcolm was still between his legs, leaning on his knee. Malcolm had found another relay just above Trip’s hips to fix. He had situated himself perpendicular to Trip’s torso, with his right side very close to Trip’s crotch, his back leaning against his left knee, and his feet somewhere between Trip’s legs. He was concentrating on the relay, fiddling with the wires. 

Trip tried to focus. _Malcolm is between my legs_. _Malcolm is really between my legs, just sitting, fixing things._ He was so attractive. His angular features were lit up by the warm light. His skin was glowing. His contemplative face - pensive, thoughtful. His thin neck, the way his dark hair was glossy and looked so soft. That uniform suited him well too. _I’ve got ta get outta this uniform._

It was starting to get hot in there. Trip felt blood rush to his cheeks. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and neck. His whole body felt electric and hot. He fanned himself a bit and sighed, then unzipped the top of his jacket to let some air onto his chest. He needed to cool off, but he couldn’t go anywhere with Malcolm between his legs. He was stuck and had to just power through. _You got this, Trip. Stay calm._

Malcolm finished with the relay and looked around to find the next. There was another one slightly closer to Trip. He scooted to his right a bit, not realizing how close he was to Trip’s crotch until his hip bumped into Trip’s upper thigh. His eyebrows raised slightly but he didn’t look down, pretending to be completely engrossed in the task. Trip whimpered, then coughed in an attempt to cover it up. Malcolm smirked then bit his lip and tried to concentrate on the relay before he did something brash. Trip dropped his head back and let his arms rest on his chest for a minute trying to meter his breaths. It was completely maddening. If he moved at all, he was going to rub against Malcolm, and the thought made his crotch twitch. 

_“Shit_ ,” he muttered again, dropping his pliers. Malcolm looked down at him for a second, registering a slightly larger bulge in Trip’s pants, catching his eyes, and then looking back at the relay. 

“You alright down there?” He asked, taunting him. His voice was so even, and Trip’s mind so distracted by their proximity that he didn’t catch Malcolm’s knowing tone. 

“‘M good.” 

He was sweating even more now. His hands were trembling. He wasn’t sure how long he could last like this before he did something he couldn’t take back.

“S’ jus’ gettin’ kinda hot in here.” He checked his watch. 

“We been in here an hour already? Whew, no wonder I’m sweatin’.” 

His voice was just a bit too dramatic. Had he finally figured it out? Malcolm could feel anticipation welling in his stomach. Trip pulled the zipper on his jacket down even further and shimmied out of the sleeves. His muscular arms were now bare below the short sleeves of his undershirt. His neck was completely visible. His pecs were outlined in the tight shirt. Sweat rings darkened his neck and underarms and perspiration glistened on his radiant skin. Malcolm inhaled and then exhaled slowly. 

“Uh, Malcolm, can I have another relay please?” 

Trip kept his eyes above him on the next relay, not daring to meet Malcolm’s eyes or he swore his crotch might stand at full attention. Malcolm grabbed a relay and leaned forward, brushing up against Trip’s erection as he deposited it in his hand. He sighed softly, explosions in his chest wracking him. He didn’t move away from Trip’s waist after he dropped the relay into Trip’s hand, but placed a hand next to Trip’s hip on the floor to steady himself, twisted around Trip’s body. 

The weight of Malcolm on Trip’s body pushed Trip’s knee further away, opening his legs. Trip sucked in air, gasping. 

“Mal, you’re uh,” he broke, his voice faltering, his face completely red now. He knew Malcolm could feel his hardness. There was no hiding it. _Is he...doin’ this on purpose? There’s no way._

Malcolm could see the deep blush rise into Trip’s face and leaned further up, getting onto a knee and pushing himself forward, his hips pushing down on Trip’s crotch. His lips parted as he groaned softly. His eyes shone in the red light, mischievous. 

Trip’s azure eyes widened and he moaned. “Mal…” 

Malcolm smiled and his chest hovered over Trip. He could feel Trip’s erection growing under his hips and his breath quickened. Malcolm pulled his other hand up and cupped Trip’s cheek, then pulled his face toward him. He placed a gentle kiss on Trip’s lips, parting them softly, the pressure of their lips together making him sigh. _Finally._

Trip closed his eyes. _Holy shit,_ he thought, dropping the relay and grabbing the back of Malcom’s head with one hand and the small of his back with the other. He pulled Malcom down onto him, and pushed their lips together harder, then opened them some, tasting Malcolm’s lips with his tongue before entering Malcolm’s mouth and searching for his. Malcolm’s tongue met Trip’s, rolling around the tip, then sucking him further into his mouth. 

_We’re makin’ out. I’m kissin’ ‘im. He’s on top o’ me._ Trip couldn’t believe it so much so that he abruptly pulled back. 

“Wha..” Trip muttered. 

Malcolm blinked - his lashes were so long. His face was so bright and happy and flushed. 

“You have no idea how long I have been waiting to do that, Mistah Tuckah.” 

Trip’s fingers were still laced in Malcolm’s hair, his other hand grasping at Malcolm’s back. He couldn’t deny it. They were entwined inside a console in the armory. They had finally kissed. He was over the moon. 

“Me too, Loo-tenant.” 


End file.
